Robert Millar’s race analysis from the final week of the Giro d'Italia

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Stage 16 to Val Martello

Stage 18 to Rifugio Panarotta

At last Julian Arredondo got his tactics right. Often in the break and then launching his attack much too early he did the opposite and played, as Sean Kelly says, the waiting game. For someone riding his first Grand Tour he has learned very quickly, letting Duarte, Deignan and De Gendt beat each other up and then with 4km to go the blue jersey wearer left them all behind for a well deserved win.

Stage 19 to Cima Grappa

Any doubts about who was the strongest rider were dismissed when the Maglia Rosa blasted up the Cima Grappa to take the stage win and another minute and a half from Rigoberto Uran. The big surprise was Fabio Aru who produced a fantastic ride and moved into the final podium position with Pierre Rolland beating Pozzovivo and a resurgent Franco Pellizotti making the top six of the stage. Majka lost over three and a half minutes but comparatively he trounced Evans, Kelderman, Kiserlovski and a tiring Hesjedal.

Stage 20 to Monte Zoncolan

This was always going to be the perfect stage for an escape with the GC locked down but then saying that only the strong would survive. From a 20 man break Mick Rogers proved his win at Savona was no fluke by grinding up Monte Zoncolan for a hard earned victory.

Stage 21 to Trieste

Giant-Shimano top and tail their Giro with Luka Mezgec doing what Marcel Kittel did way back in Ireland by winning a hectic bunch sprint. Even some bumping and barging from his contemporaries inside the last kilometer couldn't stop the Slovenian producing an impressive acceleration along the barriers to beat Nizzolo and Tyler Farrar by a bike length. Pre-stage favourite Nacer Bouhanni might have hoped for another win but he would have to be content with cementing his points jersey, in fourth place.